US conducts strike in Somalia as Trump expands war against al Shabaab militants

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military said on Wednesday it carried out a strike in Somalia against the al-Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militant group about 300 miles southwest of the Somali capital Mogadishu.

"We will continue to assess the results of the operation and will provide additional information as appropriate," the U.S. military's Africa Command said in a statement, without providing any details, such as the number of fighters killed.

"Specific details about the units involved and assets used will not be released in order to ensure operational security."

The US military carried out a strike on al Shabaab on Sunday. Both strikes come after President Donald Trump approved expanded military operations against the terrorist group.

In April, the US announced it was sending dozens of regular troops to Somalia in the largest such deployment there in roughly two decades, saying it was for logistics training of Somalia's army.